Amazon Introduces Its Own Cloud Gaming Competitor, Luna

Microsoft and Google both have their own cloud gaming service, and today, Amazon announced it will soon have one too. Luna, a game streaming service, was revealed today during the company's 2020 hardware event.

Amazon's entry into the cloud gaming space has been rumored for some time, but today, plans have been officially set in motion. The service, Luna, will act fairly similar to the likes of Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce, and Xbox's cloud streaming (formerly Project xCloud).

Available through PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad, as well as Amazon's Fire TV, Luna users will be able to stream games rather than installing them or inserting a disc. Luna will utilize AWS, Amazon's web platform, to power the streaming, and though there's no date yet for launch, U.S. users can request early access starting today, for an introductory price of $5.99 a month to access its Luna+ channel.

The lineup for Luna+ is solid, if not totally surprising. Luna doesn't seem to be locking in any exclusives, instead relying on existing games like Resident Evil 7 and Control. Ubisoft is making a big push into the space though, with its own channel on the way devoted to playing its games in "up to 4K resolution" and access to new titles, like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Immortals Fenyx Rising, when they launch. Per Engadget, additional channels will add additional cost, though no price has been set yet.

Luna also has its own Alexa-enabled controller and Twitch integration, where viewers can see Twitch streams from games already in the Luna service and start playing them. You can also use a keyboard and mouse or Bluetooth controller if the Luna controller isn't your jam.

Amazon's gaming ventures have been shaky in the past, with major games like Crucible un-launching back into beta a month after it came out. Other projects, like New World and Breakaway, have had similar bumps along the way.

Earlier this year, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that he sees Amazon and Google as the main competition moving forward, not Sony or Nintendo. In respect to cloud streaming, it seems he was dead on, as all three will be jostling for the lead in the subscription streaming space.